Coastal Carolina and Northern Illinois combined to total 1,030 total yards of offense and 88 points in a back-and-forth scoring slugfest that saw the Chanticleers finish on top 47-41 in the seventh annual Tailgreeter Cure Bowl in Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Fla.

While most of the game saw score after score, the Coastal defense came up big over the final three NIU offensive possessions, getting a fourth-down stop for a turnover on downs, forcing a fumble, and then getting a game-winning tackle on the four-yard line as the clocked ticked down to 0:00 to hang on for the six-point win.

With the win, Coastal finished the season at 11-2 overall, marking the second consecutive 11-win season.

The Coastal offense totaled 514 yards of total offense and averaged 9.3 yards per play in the win, as the Chants passed for 315 yards and ran for 199 yards.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Grayson McCall was 22-for-30 for 315 yards and four touchdowns, connecting seven times with both Isaiah Likely (96 yards, 2 TDs) and Jaivon Heiligh (94 yards).

Redshirt freshman running back Braydon Bennett had a career-high three scores, as he rushed six times for 108 yards and two touchdowns and caught four passes for 47 yards and a score.

NIU's offense topped CCU with 516 total yards off offense, doing most of their damage on the ground with 335 yards, while also adding 181 passing yards.

The Huskies did not punt for the game.

The running back duo of Jay Ducker (24 carries, 146 yards) and Antario Brown (12 carries, 105 yards, TD) combined for 251 yards on the ground, while quarterback Rocky Lombardi rushed for 66 yards and one touchdown.

Lombardi was also 20-for-33 with 181 yards and two touchdowns through the air with his favorite target Cole Tucker catching a team-high six passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Chants had five players with double-digit tackles led by Silas Kelly and his career-high 14 tackles, 1.0 tackle-for-loss, and a key forced fumble.

Fellow super senior linebacker Teddy Gallagher and redshirt senior safety Alex Spillum had 12 tackles each, while freshman Dre Pinckney and redshirt senior Enock Makonzo finished with 10 tackles each.

For the Huskies defensively, Nick Rattin led the way with seven stops, while Louis Frye added six tackles.

Northern Illinois took the opening kickoff and immediately went to the ground game, rushing seven times, including a 28-yard fourth-down run by Lombardi, to drive down to the Coastal one-yard line.

Three plays later, Lombardi connected with Tucker on a five-yard touchdown pass to go on top 7-0 with 9:51 left to go in the first quarter.

The Chanticleers quickly answered back, as "Teal Team 6" converted four first downs, highlighted by a 15-yard rush by Bennett and later a 13-yard score off the right side by Bennett on a second-and-5 to cap the 10-play, 75-yard drive, in just under five minutes (4:38).

However, the extra-point attempt was blocked at the line of scrimmage by the Huskies to keep the team in white and red on top 7-6 with 5:13 to go in the opening quarter.

After the CCU defense held the Huskies to a 41-yard field goal on their next offensive drive to put the score at 10-6, the offense retook the field looking to take its first lead of the game.

CCU's Shermari Jones and Bennett combined to carry the ball four times for a pair of first downs and to move on to NIU's side of the field, before an incomplete pass and a delay of game penalty moved Coastal back to the NIU 45-yard line.

A five-yard run by McCall put the Chants in a manageable fourth-and-5, where head coach Jamey Chadwell decided to go for it on the NIU 40-yard line. On the fourth-down play, McCall hit a streaking Aaron Bedgood down the seam for a 40-yard pass, catch, and score to put the Chanticleers in front 13-10 with 13:46 to go in the second quarter.

However, the back-and-forth scoring continued as the Huskies again went to the ground on their offensive series.

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) Champions picked up three first downs, all on the ground, highlighted by a 34-yard scramble by Brown, to move the ball down to the Coastal two-yard line.

NIU's Clint Ratkovich then punched the ball into the end zone from two-yards out to cap the nine-play, 68-yard scoring drive and put the Huskies back on top at 17-13 with 8:35 to go before the halftime break.

It was again the Chanticleers' turn, as redshirt junior Fred Jackson returned the kickoff 30 yards to the CCU 32-yard line to start the possession.

Back-to-back double-digit pass plays to Heiligh for 16 and 35 yards, respectively, put the Chants down to the NIU 10-yard line. However, three consecutive incomplete passes forced CCU to settle for a 27-yard Massimo Biscardi field goal and cut the NIU lead to one at 17-16 with 5:48 to go in the second quarter of play.

On NIU's ensuing possession, the Chants appeared to have forced the first punt of the game, as Myles Olufemi made a tackle-for-loss behind the line of scrimmage to put the Huskies in a fourth-and-10 from their own 33-yard line.

On the punt attempt, CCU hit the punter to draw a roughing the kicker penalty and give NIU new life with a first-and-10 from their own 47-yard line.

Northern Illinois took advantage of the penalty and ran the ball five consecutive plays before a 12-yard touchdown pass from Lombardi to Miles Joiner pushed the visiting team's lead to eight at 24-16 with 1:12 to go in the opening half.

The Chanticleers looked to get on the scoreboard one more time before the end of the first half, as McCall connected with Heiligh three times and Likely twice to put the home team in field goal range with time running off the clock.

Biscardi knocked a 43-yard field goal through the uprights with five seconds to play in the first half to put the Chanticleers down just five at 24-19 at the halftime break.

Having deferred to the second half after winning the coin toss, the Chants' offense took the field to start the second half and quickly drove 75 yards on just five plays and only 2:26 off the game clock.

The quick scoring drive was highlighted by a 27-yard run by Jones and a 27-yard one-handed catch from Likely who then ran the ball in for the touchdown to put Coastal back in front at 26-24 with 12:34 to go in the third quarter.

However, the scoring trend carried over from the first half to the second, as NIU answered on its first offense series, as the Huskies used just five plays of their own to go 79 yards in just 2:26 to retake the lead at 31-26 on a 56-yard run by Jay Ducker and a one-yard option keeper by Lombardi with 10:08 in the third.

Not to be outdone, CCU's offense answered with a 15-yard pass and catch from McCall to Kameron Brown, followed by a 60-yard touchdown run down the Coastal Carolina sideline by Bennett, his second score of the game, to put the Men in Teal back on top at 33-31 with 9:27 to go before the fourth quarter.

As they had done all game, the Huskies answered back on the offensive end with another score, as Brown and Ducker combined to rush six times for 32 yards to take the ball down to the Coastal 35-yard line.

Four plays later, Brown rushed into the end zone from seven yards out to put NIU back in front once again at 38-33 with 3:13 left in the third quarter.

The CCU offense was unable to continue the back-and-forth scoring slugfest, as the Huskies halted the Chants' offense with a tackle-for-loss on a second-and-nine to force the first punt of the game, a 46-yard boot from super senior Charles Ouverson.

The Huskies were able to take advantage of the defensive stop and the CCU punt, despite being stopped by the Coastal defense on a third-and-13, John Richardson made good on a 45-yard field goal to extend the lead to 44-33 with 11:51 to go in the game.

Refusing to quit, the Chants' offense answered with a little trickery, as Teal Team 6 ran a fake-reverse flea-flicker to set up a McCall to a wide open Likely for a 40-yard touchdown catch to cap the six-play, 64-yard scoring drive and close the gap to 41-39 with 9:07 in regulation.

Going for the tie, the Chants' two-point conversion pass fell incomplete to allow the Huskies to remain in front by two at 41-39.

With the momentum clearly on the side of the Chants, the "Black Swarm" defense came up with a big stop, holding the Huskies rushing attack to no gains on back-to-back plays with the latter being on a fourth-and-1 to turn the ball over on downs.

The offense would take over on the 34-yard and needed just one play to find pay dirt, as McCall pitched the ball forward to a sprinting Bennett who raced 34 yards down the sideline for his third score of the game to put Coastal in front 45-41 with 6:40 left in the contest.

Looking to add to the lead, CCU went for a two-point conversion once again and this time McCall connected with Likely in the left side of the end zone to push the CCU lead to six at 47-41.

Coastal's defense came up big on the next Huskies offensive series, as NIU started moving ball down the field, starting at their own 18-yard line and advancing to the 43-yard line before a scrambling Lombardi appeared to have a first down when a diving Kelly punched the ball loose to force the fumble.

CCU's Pinkney scooped up the ball and began to return the ball towards the end zone before Spillum tackled his own teammate with just 3:21 to go on the game clock.

After the offense was unable to get a first down and run out the clock, the defense went back to work.

Over the final 2:29 of the contest, NIU nickeled and dimed its way down the field, completing 11 passes and getting down to the Coastal four-yard line.

However, the 11th completed pass and 15th play would be huge, as Miles Joiner was tackled inbounds on a pass play with two seconds left and the clock ran out before the Huskies could get off another play, sealing the win for the Chanticleers.